Method and apparatus for distributing content to communication devices

ABSTRACT

A system that incorporates the subject disclosure may perform, for example, operations including receiving a plurality of profiles from a plurality of communication devices, where each of the plurality of profiles comprise a content preference established by users of the plurality of communication devices, receiving content from a plurality of content sources, selecting portions of the content according to the plurality of profiles supplied by the plurality of communication devices, detecting that the portions of the content are not compatible with a multimedia messaging service protocol utilized by the multimedia messaging service server, transcoding the portions of the content to generate transcoded portions of the content that comply with the multimedia messaging service protocol, and broadcasting the transcoded portions of the content to the plurality of communication devices. Other embodiments are disclosed.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The subject disclosure relates to a method and apparatus fordistributing content to communication devices.

BACKGROUND

The use of smart phones and broadband interfaces has increased thefrequency of content browsing, content sharing and content downloads.Video content downloads, for example, have given rise to a need forhigher bandwidth systems both in wireless and wireline systems. Socialnetworking has also contributed to the need for higher bandwidthnetworks.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are notnecessarily drawn to scale, and wherein:

FIG. 1 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a system;

FIG. 2 depicts an illustrative embodiment of sources of content;

FIG. 3 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a method used in portionsof the system described in FIG. 1;

FIGS. 4-5 depict illustrative embodiments of communication systems thatprovide media services;

FIG. 6 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a web portal forinteracting with the communication systems of FIG. 1, and FIGS. 4-5;

FIG. 7 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a communication device; and

FIG. 8 is a diagrammatic representation of a machine in the form of acomputer system within which a set of instructions, when executed, maycause the machine to perform any one or more of the methods describedherein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The subject disclosure describes, among other things, illustrativeembodiments for distributing content to communication devices. Otherembodiments are included in the subject disclosure.

One embodiment of the subject disclosure includes method for receiving,by a multimedia messaging service server comprising a processor, a firstplurality of profiles from a plurality of content sources, where each ofthe first plurality of profiles describe a condition for broadcastingcontent provided by the plurality of content sources to the multimediamessaging service server, and where content provided by the plurality ofcontent sources is not compliant with a multimedia messaging serviceprotocol utilized by the multimedia messaging service server, receiving,by the multimedia messaging service server, a second plurality ofprofiles from a plurality of communication devices, where each of thesecond plurality of profiles indicate a type of content and a contentformat desired by users of the plurality of communication devices,receiving, by the multimedia messaging service server, content from theplurality of content sources, extracting, by the multimedia messagingservice server, portions of the content according to the secondplurality of profiles supplied by the plurality of communicationdevices, transcoding, by the multimedia messaging service server, theportions of the content to generate transcoded portions of the contentthat comply with the multimedia messaging service protocol utilized bythe multimedia messaging service server, and broadcasting, by themultimedia messaging service server, to the plurality of communicationdevices the transcoded portions of the content according to the firstplurality of profiles supplied by the plurality of content sources.

One embodiment of the subject disclosure includes a multimedia messagingservice server having a memory to store executable instructions, and aprocessor coupled to the memory. Responsive to executing theinstructions, the processor performs operations including receiving aplurality of profiles from a plurality of communication devices, whereeach of the plurality of profiles indicate a type of content and acontent format desired by users of the plurality of communicationdevices, receiving content from a plurality of content sources,selecting portions of the content according to the plurality of profilessupplied by the plurality of communication devices, transcoding theportions of the content to generate transcoded portions of the contentthat comply with a multimedia messaging service protocol, andbroadcasting the transcoded portions of the content to the plurality ofcommunication devices.

One embodiment of the subject disclosure includes a machine-readablemedium, including executable instructions, which when executed by asystem having a processor, causes the processor to perform operationsincluding receiving a plurality of profiles from a plurality ofcommunication devices, where each of the plurality of profiles comprisea content preference established by users of the plurality ofcommunication devices, receiving content from a plurality of contentsources, selecting portions of the content according to the plurality ofprofiles supplied by the plurality of communication devices, detectingthat the portions of the content are not compatible with a multimediaprotocol utilized by the system, transcoding the portions of the contentto generate transcoded portions of the content that comply with themultimedia protocol, and broadcasting the transcoded portions of thecontent to the plurality of communication devices.

FIG. 1 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a system 100. System 100can comprise a core network 112 including network elements such asrouters and switches for facilitating midrange and long rangecommunications between user equipment. System 100 can also comprise amobility network 114 including 2G/3G and LTE base stations providingservices to mobile communication devices 108 having multimedia messagingservice (MMS) capability among other features. The core network 112 canalso be coupled to other MMS client devices that utilize land-basedwired interfaces for communications such as an Internet interface (e.g.,DSL, cable, etc.), Internet Protocol Television (IPTV such as shown inFIG. 4), IP Multimedia Subsystems (IMS such as shown in FIG. 5), and soon. The core network 112 can also be coupled to MMS servers 104, andcontent servers 102 via a gateway 103 coupled to a network to MPLSrouters, frame relays, and other internet-capable or digitaltransmission network elements.

The content servers 102 can receive content from content source authors106 such as fixed cameras located on a public fixture, mobile news crewswith satellite equipment to provide a live or prerecorded newscast,mobile users recording newsworthy events, emergency personnel inambulances carrying communication devices and fire and rescue personnelalso carrying communication devices, some of which are shown in FIG. 2.Other sources of authored content suitable for distribution to end userequipment can be applied to the subject disclosure. The content servers102 provide content distribution services (such as the services providedby LiveCast®, a registered trademark of LCM LiveCast Media, Inc.) todeliver live or prerecorded content between users. The MMS servers 104can be used to receive, reformat, and redistribute simulcast segments ofthe content supplied by the content servers 102 as described in thesubject disclosure.

FIG. 3 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a method 300 that can beused in portions of the system 100 described in FIG. 1. Method 300 canbegin with step 302 where the MMS servers 104 of FIG. 1 receive firstprofiles from the content sources 102. The first profiles can describe acondition for broadcasting content provided by the plurality of contentsources 102 to the MMS servers 104. For example, the condition caninclude a time of day for broadcasting the content, rules fordistributing content by content type and/or topic, rules for determiningwhich subscribers can receive content collected by the content sources102, frequency of broadcasting content, and other suitable conditionsfor determining distribution of content to end users of communicationdevices 108-110.

At step 304, the MMS servers 104 can receive second profiles fromcommunication devices 108-110 of users targeted as recipients ofparticular portions of the content collected by the content sources 102.The second profiles can indicate a type of content and a content formatdesired by users of the plurality of communication devices 108-110. Forexample, the type of content desired by the users of the plurality ofcommunication devices 108-110 can be described by a genre selection madethe users. Genres may include, for example, world news, sports, fashion,gaming, movies, etc. The genre selection can be more specific ifdesired, e.g., news about a sports team such as the Miami Dolphins, ormore specifically news about a specific player of the sports team.

The second profiles can also include a desired transmission periodidentified by the users of the plurality of communications devices108-110 for when they wish to receive content supplied by the pluralityof content sources 102 at the plurality of communications devices108-110. The content format desired by the users can be still images(e.g., pictures, or still image clips), or a video clip extracted fromthe content supplied by the plurality of content sources 102.

The content sources 102 can insert tags in the content to enableorganization, identification, and selectivity of the content by the MMSservers 104. For example, the content can be tagged to identifyhighlights of the content (e.g., a specific scene of interest). The tagscan also including identification information or metadata to identifythe nature of the content (e.g., news, sports, author of the news orsports, person or persons identified in the content, time of day thecontent was received, and so on). The tags can also be utilized by theMMS servers 104 to extract portions of the content according to thefirst profiles provided by the content sources 102 (which may identifytarget recipients, target time of broadcast, and so on), and the secondprofiles of the users (which may identify desired content, desiredformat of the content, user-preferred schedules for reception of thecontent which may or may not coincide with broadcast times of thecontent sources 102, and so on).

Once content is received by the MMS servers 104 in step 306 from thecontent sources 102, the MMS servers 104 can determine if the contentcomplies with the profiles of the content sources 102. For example, thecontent sources 102 may desire that different portions of the contentcan have different broadcast times according to the profiles provided bythe content sources 102. Rules for distributing content by topic mayalso differ between content portions to be broadcast at varying times.Similarly, rules for determining which subscribers can receive contentcollected by the content sources 102, and the frequency of broadcastingbetween users may differ. Consequently, step 308 may be satisfied atdifferent times for different portions of content and different targetedusers/subscribers.

Once the profiles of the content sources 102 have been satisfied for aparticular portion of the content received at step 306, the MMS servers104 can then determine if such portions of content have been sent withtags. Not all content sources 102 may tag their content. If portions ofthe content include tags, then at step 314, the MMS servers 104 can usethe tags to extract segments of content (e.g., video clips, stillimages, or combinations) that have been highlighted by the contentsources 102. Highlights might be, for example, a picture of a sportsevent showing a player's successful play that led to a touchdown, awinning play, etc. Other highlights may include a video clip of the sameplay. Other highlights may include just an audio clip of the play.Combinations of highlights may also be possible to provide a recipientof the extracted content options to choose from a number of possiblehighlights to present at their communication devices 108-110.

If there are no tags, the MMS servers 104 can proceed to step 312 toextract portions of the content according to the profiles provided bythe users by way of their communication devices 108-110. In this step,the MMS servers 104 can utilize the identity of the source or author ofcontent to select content of interest, and image and/or audio processingtechniques to identify content highlights according to user preferencesidentified in the second profiles. An identity of the source or authorof the content, which can be provided in a header of the content, can beused to identify a type of content. For example, if the source of thecontent is ESPN, then it is safe to assume the content issports-related. With image processing and/or audio processing the MMSservers 104 can then search for specific portions of the ESPN contentthat may be of interest to a user. For example, if the user indicated inthe profile s/he is a fan of the Miami Dolphins, and is interested inone or more specific players, then the MMS servers 104 can use imageprocessing and/or audio processing technology to search portions of thecontent and extract still images and/or clips which may be of interestto the user.

At step 318, the MMS servers 104 can determine whether the extractedcontent is compliant with an MMS protocol defined by a standards bodysuch as the Open Mobile Alliance. Next generation MMS protocols definedby the same standards body or other standards body can be applied to thesubject disclosure. In addition, assessing compliance to the MMSprotocol, the MMS servers 104 can determine service provider policiesfor transmitting content on its networks. For example, the serviceprovider may limit the size and resolution of video clips or theresolution of still images to particular parameters. The MMS servers 104can further consider the media processing resources of eachcommunication device 108-110 of the users, such as, for example, displaysize, display resolution, audio processing resources, and so on. Theforegoing parameters may require compaction and redaction of extractedcontent to suit the needs of the service provider of the MMS servers 104and/or the service provider of the core and mobility networks 112-114,as well as the communication devices 108 of the users. The MMS servers104 can take into consideration protocol discrepancies, contentresolution and size as described above and proceed to step 318 where ittranscodes the extracted portions of content to generate transcodedportions that comply with the MMS protocol and the requirements of theservice provider(s) and features of the communication devices targetedcommunication device to receive the transcoded portions.

If there are no incompatibilities, then the transcoding step 318 can beskipped, and the MMS servers 104 can proceed to step 320 where itassigns the extracted portions to target communication devices 108according to the profiles established by the users of these devices,and/or according to the profiles provided by the content sources 102.Since multiple users can share common interests, the assignment step canresult in a shared distribution of extracted portions of the content,which can be distributed in a simulcast transmission to suchcommunication devices 108 using the MMS protocol.

At step 322, the MMS servers 104 can determine if the profiles of theusers have been satisfied. This step can represent the desired times setby the users, content type, and so on. Some users may, for example,establish blocked times for preventing reception of content (e.g., nocontent is to be transmitted between 10 pm and 7am). Other users mayestablish priorities and corresponding temporal windows for receivingcontent. For example, some users may establish a limited window toreceive content for a low tier/priority content, while expanding thewindow for mid-tier/priority content, and making the window unlimitedwhen high tier/priority content is available. Low tier may be, forexample, world news, mid tier may be local news, and high tier may benews of specific person(s) or organizations. In cases where the temporalwindow of a user does not coincide with the broadcast time of a contentsource 102 as noted in the profile provided thereby, the MMS servers 104can proceed to step 324 where it postpones the broadcast of theextracted portion(s) of this user until the window of the user occurs.The broadcast can be postponed by storing the extracted (and in someinstances transcoded) content, and removing the stored content when thetemporal window occurs. For users who's profile has been satisfied, theMMS servers 104 can proceed to step 326 and transmit the extractedportions according to the MMS protocol (which may or may not have beentranscoded in step 318).

FIG. 4 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a first communicationsystem 400 for delivering media content. The communication system 400can represent an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) media system.Communication system 400 can be overlaid or operably coupled with system100 of FIG. 1 as another representative embodiment of communicationsystem 400. Communication system 400 can be adapted to receive contentfrom content sources and distribute segments of such messages in MMSbroadcasts as described in the subject disclosure.

With this in mind, the IPTV media system can include a super head-endoffice (SHO) 410 with at least one super headend office server (SHS) 411which receives media content from satellite and/or terrestrialcommunication systems. In the present context, media content canrepresent, for example, audio content, moving image content such as 2Dor 3D videos, video games, virtual reality content, still image content,and combinations thereof. The SHS server 411 can forward packetsassociated with the media content to one or more video head-end servers(VHS) 414 via a network of video head-end offices (VHO) 412 according toa multicast communication protocol.

The VHS 414 can distribute multimedia broadcast content via an accessnetwork 418 to commercial and/or residential buildings 402 housing agateway 404 (such as a residential or commercial gateway). The accessnetwork 418 can represent a group of digital subscriber line accessmultiplexers (DSLAMs) located in a central office or a service areainterface that provide broadband services over fiber optical links orcopper twisted pairs 419 to buildings 402. The gateway 404 can usecommunication technology to distribute broadcast signals to mediaprocessors 406 such as Set-Top Boxes (STBs) which in turn presentbroadcast channels to media devices 408 such as computers or televisionsets managed in some instances by a media controller 407 (such as aninfrared or RF remote controller).

The gateway 404, the media processors 406, and media devices 408 canutilize tethered communication technologies (such as coaxial, powerlineor phone line wiring) or can operate over a wireless access protocolsuch as Wireless Fidelity (WiFi), Bluetooth, Zigbee, or other present ornext generation local or personal area wireless network technologies. Byway of these interfaces, unicast communications can also be invokedbetween the media processors 406 and subsystems of the IPTV media systemfor services such as video-on-demand (VoD), browsing an electronicprogramming guide (EPG), or other infrastructure services.

A satellite broadcast television system 429 can be used in the mediasystem of FIG. 4. The satellite broadcast television system can beoverlaid, operably coupled with, or replace the IPTV system as anotherrepresentative embodiment of communication system 400. In thisembodiment, signals transmitted by a satellite 415 that include mediacontent can be received by a satellite dish receiver 431 coupled to thebuilding 402. Modulated signals received by the satellite dish receiver431 can be transferred to the media processors 406 for demodulating,decoding, encoding, and/or distributing broadcast channels to the mediadevices 408. The media processors 406 can be equipped with a broadbandport to an Internet Service Provider (ISP) network 432 to enableinteractive services such as VoD and EPG as described above.

In yet another embodiment, an analog or digital cable broadcastdistribution system such as cable TV system 433 can be overlaid,operably coupled with, or replace the IPTV system and/or the satelliteTV system as another representative embodiment of communication system400. In this embodiment, the cable TV system 433 can also provideInternet, telephony, and interactive media services.

The subject disclosure can apply to other present or next generationover-the-air and/or landline media content services system.

Some of the network elements of the IPTV media system can be coupled toone or more computing devices 430, a portion of which can operate as aweb server for providing web portal services over the ISP network 432 towireline media devices 408 or wireless communication devices 416.

Communication system 400 can also provide for all or a portion of thecomputing devices 430 to function as an MMS server (herein referred toas MMS server 430). The MMS server 430 can use computing andcommunication technology to perform function 462, which can includeamong other things, the steps described by method 300 of FIG. 3. Themedia processors 406 and wireless communication devices 416 can beprovisioned with software functions 464 and 466, respectively, toutilize the services of MMS server 430.

Multiple forms of media services can be offered to media devices overlandline technologies such as those described above. Additionally, mediaservices can be offered to media devices by way of a wireless accessbase station 417 operating according to common wireless access protocolssuch as Global System for Mobile or GSM, Code Division Multiple Accessor CDMA, Time Division Multiple Access or TDMA, Universal MobileTelecommunications or UMTS, World interoperability for Microwave orWiMAX, Software Defined Radio or SDR, Long Term Evolution or LTE, and soon. Other present and next generation wide area wireless access networktechnologies can be used in one or more embodiments of the subjectdisclosure.

FIG. 5 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a communication system 500employing an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) network architecture tofacilitate the combined services of circuit-switched and packet-switchedsystems. Communication system 500 can be overlaid or operably coupledwith system 100 of FIG. 1 and communication system 400 as anotherrepresentative embodiment of communication system 400. Communicationsystem 500 can also be adapted to receive content from content sourcesand distribute segments of such messages in MMS broadcasts as describedby the subject disclosure.

Communication system 500 can comprise a Home Subscriber Server (HSS)540, a tElephone NUmber Mapping (ENUM) server 530, and other networkelements of an IMS network 550. The IMS network 550 can establishcommunications between IMS-compliant communication devices (CDs) 501,502, Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) CDs 503, 505, andcombinations thereof by way of a Media Gateway Control Function (MGCF)520 coupled to a PSTN network 560. The MGCF 520 need not be used when acommunication session involves IMS CD to IMS CD communications. Acommunication session involving at least one PSTN CD may utilize theMGCF 520.

IMS CDs 501, 502 can register with the IMS network 550 by contacting aProxy Call Session Control Function (P-CSCF) which communicates with aninterrogating CSCF (I-CSCF), which in turn, communicates with a ServingCSCF (S-CSCF) to register the CDs with the HSS 540. To initiate acommunication session between CDs, an originating IMS CD 501 can submita Session Initiation Protocol (SIP INVITE) message to an originatingP-CSCF 504 which communicates with a corresponding originating S-CSCF506. The originating S-CSCF 506 can submit the SIP INVITE message to oneor more application servers (ASs) 517 that can provide a variety ofservices to IMS subscribers.

For example, the application servers 517 can be used to performoriginating call feature treatment functions on the calling party numberreceived by the originating S-CSCF 506 in the SIP INVITE message.Originating treatment functions can include determining whether thecalling party number has international calling services, call IDblocking, calling name blocking, 7-digit dialing, and/or is requestingspecial telephony features (e.g., *72 forward calls, *73 cancel callforwarding, *67 for caller ID blocking, and so on). Based on initialfilter criteria (iFCs) in a subscriber profile associated with a CD, oneor more application servers may be invoked to provide various calloriginating feature services.

Additionally, the originating S-CSCF 506 can submit queries to the ENUMsystem 530 to translate an E.164 telephone number in the SIP INVITEmessage to a SIP Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) if the terminatingcommunication device is IMS-compliant. The SIP URI can be used by anInterrogating CSCF (I-CSCF) 507 to submit a query to the HSS 540 toidentify a terminating S-CSCF 514 associated with a terminating IMS CDsuch as reference 502. Once identified, the I-CSCF 507 can submit theSIP INVITE message to the terminating S-CSCF 514. The terminating S-CSCF514 can then identify a terminating P-CSCF 516 associated with theterminating CD 502. The P-CSCF 516 may then signal the CD 502 toestablish Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) communication services,thereby enabling the calling and called parties to engage in voiceand/or data communications. Based on the iFCs in the subscriber profile,one or more application servers may be invoked to provide various callterminating feature services, such as call forwarding, do not disturb,music tones, simultaneous ringing, sequential ringing, etc.

In some instances the aforementioned communication process issymmetrical. Accordingly, the terms “originating” and “terminating” inFIG. 5 may be interchangeable. It is further noted that communicationsystem 500 can be adapted to support video conferencing. In addition,communication system 500 can be adapted to provide the IMS CDs 501, 502with the multimedia and Internet services of communication system 400 ofFIG. 4.

If the terminating communication device is instead a PSTN CD such as CD503 or CD 505 (in instances where the cellular phone only supportscircuit-switched voice communications), the ENUM system 530 can respondwith an unsuccessful address resolution which can cause the originatingS-CSCF 506 to forward the call to the MGCF 520 via a Breakout GatewayControl Function (BGCF) 519. The MGCF 520 can then initiate the call tothe terminating PSTN CD over the PSTN network 560 to enable the callingand called parties to engage in voice and/or data communications.

It is further appreciated that the CDs of FIG. 5 can operate as wirelineor wireless devices. For example, the CDs of FIG. 5 can becommunicatively coupled to a cellular base station 521, a femtocell, aWiFi router, a Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications (DECT) baseunit, or another suitable wireless access unit to establishcommunications with the IMS network 550 of FIG. 5. The cellular accessbase station 521 can operate according to common wireless accessprotocols such as GSM, CDMA, TDMA, UMTS, WiMax, SDR, LTE, and so on.Other present and next generation wireless network technologies can beused by one or more embodiments of the subject disclosure. Accordingly,multiple wireline and wireless communication technologies can be used bythe CDs of FIG. 5.

Cellular phones supporting LTE can support packet-switched voice andpacket-switched data communications and thus may operate asIMS-compliant mobile devices. In this embodiment, the cellular basestation 521 may communicate directly with the IMS network 550 as shownby the arrow connecting the cellular base station 521 and the P-CSCF516.

Alternative forms of a CSCF can operate in a device, system, component,or other form of centralized or distributed hardware and/or software.Indeed, a respective CSCF may be embodied as a respective CSCF systemhaving one or more computers or servers, either centralized ordistributed, where each computer or server may be configured to performor provide, in whole or in part, any method, step, or functionalitydescribed herein in accordance with a respective CSCF. Likewise, otherfunctions, servers and computers described herein, including but notlimited to, the HSS, the ENUM server, the BGCF, and the MGCF, can beembodied in a respective system having one or more computers or servers,either centralized or distributed, where each computer or server may beconfigured to perform or provide, in whole or in part, any method, step,or functionality described herein in accordance with a respectivefunction, server, or computer.

The MMS server 430 of FIG. 4 can be operably coupled to the secondcommunication system 500 for purposes similar to those described above.MMS server 430 can perform function 462 and thereby provide MMSbroadcast content services to the CDs 501, 502, 503 and 505 of FIG. 5.CDs 501, 502, 503 and 505, which can be adapted with software to performfunction 572 to utilize the services of the MMS server 430. MMS server430 can be an integral part of the application server(s) 517 performingfunction 574, which can be substantially similar to function 462 andadapted to the operations of the IMS network 550.

For illustration purposes only, the terms S-CSCF, P-CSCF, I-CSCF, and soon, can be server devices, but may be referred to in the subjectdisclosure without the word “server.” It is also understood that anyform of a CSCF server can operate in a device, system, component, orother form of centralized or distributed hardware and software. It isfurther noted that these terms and other terms such as DIAMETER commandsare terms can include features, methodologies, and/or fields that may bedescribed in whole or in part by standards bodies such as ^(3rd)Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). It is further noted that some orall embodiments of the subject disclosure may in whole or in partmodify, supplement, or otherwise supersede final or proposed standardspublished and promulgated by 3GPP.

FIG. 6 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a web portal 602 which canbe hosted by server applications operating from the computing devices430 of the communication system 100 illustrated in FIG. 1. Communicationsystem 600 can be overlaid or operably coupled with system 200,communication 400, and/or communication system 500 as anotherrepresentative embodiment of system 100 of FIG. 1, communication 400,and/or communication system 500. The web portal 602 can be adapted toprovide users the ability to create profiles for receiving broadcastcontent as described above. The web portal 602 can also be used formanaging services of communication systems 400-500. A web page of theweb portal 602 can be accessed by a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) withan Internet browser such as Microsoft's Internet Explorer™, Mozilla'sFirefox™, Apple's Safari™, or Google's Chrome™ using an Internet-capablecommunication device such as those described in FIGS. 1-2. The webportal 602 can be configured, for example, to access a media processor106 and services managed thereby such as a Digital Video Recorder (DVR),a Video on Demand (VoD) catalog, an Electronic Programming Guide (EPG),or a personal catalog (such as personal videos, pictures, audiorecordings, etc.) stored at the media processor 106. The web portal 602can also be used for provisioning IMS services described earlier,provisioning Internet services, provisioning cellular phone services,and so on.

The web portal 602 can further be utilized to manage and provisionsoftware applications 462-466, and 572-574 to adapt these applicationsas may be desired by subscribers and service providers of communicationsystems 400-500.

FIG. 7 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a communication device 700.Communication device 700 can serve in whole or in part as anillustrative embodiment of the devices depicted in FIGS. 4-5.Communication device 700 can be adapted to perform any of the functionsdescribed for the devices of FIGS. 1, and 4-5, such as described bymethod 300 of FIG. 3.

To enable these features, communication device 700 can comprise awireline and/or wireless transceiver 702 (herein transceiver 702), auser interface (UI) 704, a power supply 714, a location receiver 716, amotion sensor 718, an orientation sensor 720, and a controller 706 formanaging operations thereof. The transceiver 702 can support short-rangeor long-range wireless access technologies such as Bluetooth, ZigBee,WiFi, DECT, or cellular communication technologies, just to mention afew. Cellular technologies can include, for example, CDMA-1X,UMTS/HSDPA, GSM/GPRS, TDMA/EDGE, EV/DO, WiMAX, SDR, LTE, as well asother next generation wireless communication technologies as they arise.The transceiver 702 can also be adapted to support circuit-switchedwireline access technologies (such as PSTN), packet-switched wirelineaccess technologies (such as TCP/IP, VoIP, etc.), and combinationsthereof.

The UI 704 can include a depressible or touch-sensitive keypad 708 witha navigation mechanism such as a roller ball, a joystick, a mouse, or anavigation disk for manipulating operations of the communication device700. The keypad 708 can be an integral part of a housing assembly of thecommunication device 700 or an independent device operably coupledthereto by a tethered wireline interface (such as a USB cable) or awireless interface supporting for example Bluetooth. The keypad 708 canrepresent a numeric keypad commonly used by phones, and/or a QWERTYkeypad with alphanumeric keys. The UI 704 can further include a display710 such as monochrome or color LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), OLED(Organic Light Emitting Diode) or other suitable display technology forconveying images to an end user of the communication device 700. In anembodiment where the display 710 is touch-sensitive, a portion or all ofthe keypad 708 can be presented by way of the display 710 withnavigation features.

The display 710 can use touch screen technology to also serve as a userinterface for detecting user input. As a touch screen display, thecommunication device 700 can be adapted to present a user interface withgraphical user interface (GUI) elements that can be selected by a userwith a touch of a finger. The touch screen display 710 can be equippedwith capacitive, resistive or other forms of sensing technology todetect how much surface area of a user's finger has been placed on aportion of the touch screen display. This sensing information can beused to control the manipulation of the GUI elements or other functionsof the user interface. The display 710 can be an integral part of thehousing assembly of the communication device 700 or an independentdevice communicatively coupled thereto by a tethered wireline interface(such as a cable) or a wireless interface.

The UI 704 can also include an audio system 712 that utilizes audiotechnology for conveying low volume audio (such as audio heard inproximity of a human ear) and high volume audio (such as speakerphonefor hands free operation). The audio system 712 can further include amicrophone for receiving audible signals of an end user. The audiosystem 712 can also be used for voice recognition applications. The UI704 can further include an image sensor 713 such as a charged coupleddevice (CCD) camera for capturing still or moving images.

The power supply 714 can utilize common power management technologiessuch as replaceable and rechargeable batteries, supply regulationtechnologies, and/or charging system technologies for supplying energyto the components of the communication device 700 to facilitatelong-range or short-range portable applications. Alternatively, or incombination, the charging system can utilize external power sources suchas DC power supplied over a physical interface such as a USB port orother suitable tethering technologies.

The location receiver 716 can utilize location technology such as aglobal positioning system (GPS) receiver capable of assisted GPS foridentifying a location of the communication device 700 based on signalsgenerated by a constellation of GPS satellites, which can be used forfacilitating location services such as navigation. The motion sensor 718can utilize motion sensing technology such as an accelerometer, agyroscope, or other suitable motion sensing technology to detect motionof the communication device 700 in three-dimensional space. Theorientation sensor 720 can utilize orientation sensing technology suchas a magnetometer to detect the orientation of the communication device700 (north, south, west, and east, as well as combined orientations indegrees, minutes, or other suitable orientation metrics).

The communication device 700 can use the transceiver 702 to alsodetermine a proximity to a cellular, WiFi, Bluetooth, or other wirelessaccess points by sensing techniques such as utilizing a received signalstrength indicator (RSSI) and/or signal time of arrival (TOA) or time offlight (TOF) measurements. The controller 706 can utilize computingtechnologies such as a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP),programmable gate arrays, application specific integrated circuits,and/or a video processor with associated storage memory such as Flash,ROM, RAM, SRAM, DRAM or other storage technologies for executingcomputer instructions, controlling, and processing data supplied by theaforementioned components of the communication device 400.

Other components not shown in FIG. 7 can be used in one or moreembodiments of the subject disclosure. For instance, the communicationdevice 700 can include a reset button (not shown). The reset button canbe used to reset the controller 706 of the communication device 700. Inyet another embodiment, the communication device 700 can also include afactory default setting button positioned, for example, below a smallhole in a housing assembly of the communication device 700 to force thecommunication device 700 to re-establish factory settings. In thisembodiment, a user can use a protruding object such as a pen or paperclip tip to reach into the hole and depress the default setting button.The communication device 400 can also include a slot for adding orremoving an identity module such as a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM)card. SIM cards can be used for identifying subscriber services,executing programs, storing subscriber data, and so forth.

The communication device 700 as described herein can operate with moreor less of the circuit components shown in FIG. 7. These variantembodiments can be used in one or more embodiments of the subjectdisclosure.

The communication device 700 can be adapted to perform the functions ofthe media processor 406, the media devices 408, or the portablecommunication devices 416 of FIG. 4, as well as the IMS CDs 501-502 andPSTN CDs 503-505 of FIG. 5. It will be appreciated that thecommunication device 700 can also represent other devices that canoperate in communication systems 400-500 of FIGS. 4-5 such as a gamingconsole and a media player.

The communication device 700 shown in FIG. 7 or portions thereof canserve as a representation of one or more of the devices of system 100 ofFIG. 1, communication system 400, and communication system 500. Inaddition, the controller 706 can be adapted in various embodiments toperform the functions 462-466 and 572-574, respectively.

Upon reviewing the aforementioned embodiments, it would be evident to anartisan with ordinary skill in the art that said embodiments can bemodified, reduced, or enhanced without departing from the scope of theclaims described below. For example, profiles can be received with thecontent, when the content is transmitted by content sources 102. In thisembodiment, the profiles can be determined by the content sources 102depending on the circumstances surrounding the content in question. Forexample, if the content relates to real-time news, the content sourcesmay decide that for such content, the profile will require immediatebroadcast. For less critical news, the content source 102 may decide totransmit at a convenient time such as after work hours. Theaforementioned embodiments can be applied to other applications such asfor emergency personnel such as police, fire/rescue, paramedics andhospital personnel. For example, for emergency situations, profilesprovided by the content sources 102 can include override codes toexpedite delivery by the MMS servers 104. For instance, service providerlimits for data size, resolution, and so on can be ignored when overridecodes are provided in the content source profiles. Additionally,override codes can supersede transmission priority of some or all othercontent broadcasts. In yet another embodiment, the subject disclosurecan be adapted for use by non-MMS systems that can nonetheless serve asbroadcast systems such as SMS servers, or other suitable messagingsystems. Other embodiments can be used in the subject disclosure.

It should be understood that devices described in the exemplaryembodiments can be in communication with each other via various wirelessand/or wired methodologies. The methodologies can be links that aredescribed as coupled, connected and so forth, which can includeunidirectional and/or bidirectional communication over wireless pathsand/or wired paths that utilize one or more of various protocols ormethodologies, where the coupling and/or connection can be direct (e.g.,no intervening processing device) and/or indirect (e.g., an intermediaryprocessing device such as a router).

FIG. 8 depicts an exemplary diagrammatic representation of a machine inthe form of a computer system 800 within which a set of instructions,when executed, may cause the machine to perform any one or more of themethods described above. One or more instances of the machine canoperate, for example, as the MMS server 102, 430, the content sourceservers 102, the media processor 406, the communication devices 108, 116and other devices of FIGS. 1, and 4-5. In some embodiments, the machinemay be connected (e.g., using a network 826) to other machines. In anetworked deployment, the machine may operate in the capacity of aserver or a client user machine in server-client user networkenvironment, or as a peer machine in a peer-to-peer (or distributed)network environment.

The machine may comprise a server computer, a client user computer, apersonal computer (PC), a tablet PC, a smart phone, a laptop computer, adesktop computer, a control system, a network router, switch or bridge,or any machine capable of executing a set of instructions (sequential orotherwise) that specify actions to be taken by that machine. It will beunderstood that a communication device of the subject disclosureincludes broadly any electronic device that provides voice, video ordata communication. Further, while a single machine is illustrated, theterm “machine” shall also be taken to include any collection of machinesthat individually or jointly execute a set (or multiple sets) ofinstructions to perform any one or more of the methods discussed herein.

The computer system 800 may include a processor (or controller) 802(e.g., a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU,or both), a main memory 804 and a static memory 806, which communicatewith each other via a bus 808. The computer system 800 may furtherinclude a display unit 810 (e.g., a liquid crystal display (LCD), a flatpanel, or a solid state display. The computer system 800 may include aninput device 812 (e.g., a keyboard), a cursor control device 814 (e.g.,a mouse), a disk drive unit 816, a signal generation device 818 (e.g., aspeaker or remote control) and a network interface device 820. Indistributed environments, the embodiments described in the subjectdisclosure can be adapted to utilize multiple display units 810controlled by two or more computer systems 800. In this configuration,presentations described by the subject disclosure may in part be shownin a first of the display units 810, while the remaining portion ispresented in a second of the display units 810.

The disk drive unit 816 may include a tangible computer-readable storagemedium 822 on which is stored one or more sets of instructions (e.g.,software 824) embodying any one or more of the methods or functionsdescribed herein, including those methods illustrated above. Theinstructions 824 may also reside, completely or at least partially,within the main memory 804, the static memory 806, and/or within theprocessor 802 during execution thereof by the computer system 800. Themain memory 804 and the processor 802 also may constitute tangiblecomputer-readable storage media.

Dedicated hardware implementations including, but not limited to,application specific integrated circuits, programmable logic arrays andother hardware devices that can likewise be constructed to implement themethods described herein. Application specific integrated circuits andprogrammable logic array can use downloadable instructions for executingstate machines and/or circuit configurations to implement embodiments ofthe subject disclosure. Applications that may include the apparatus andsystems of various embodiments broadly include a variety of electronicand computer systems. Some embodiments implement functions in two ormore specific interconnected hardware modules or devices with relatedcontrol and data signals communicated between and through the modules,or as portions of an application-specific integrated circuit. Thus, theexample system is applicable to software, firmware, and hardwareimplementations.

In accordance with various embodiments of the subject disclosure, theoperations or methods described herein are intended for operation assoftware programs or instructions running on or executed by a computerprocessor or other computing device, and which may include other formsof instructions manifested as a state machine implemented with logiccomponents in an application specific integrated circuit or fieldprogrammable gate array. Furthermore, software implementations (e.g.,software programs, instructions, etc.) including, but not limited to,distributed processing or component/object distributed processing,parallel processing, or virtual machine processing can also beconstructed to implement the methods described herein. It is furthernoted that a computing device such as a processor, a controller, a statemachine or other suitable device for executing instructions to performoperations or methods may perform such operations directly or indirectlyby way of one or more intermediate devices directed by the computingdevice.

While the tangible computer-readable storage medium 822 is shown in anexample embodiment to be a single medium, the term “tangiblecomputer-readable storage medium” should be taken to include a singlemedium or multiple media (e.g., a centralized or distributed database,and/or associated caches and servers) that store the one or more sets ofinstructions. The term “tangible computer-readable storage medium” shallalso be taken to include any non-transitory medium that is capable ofstoring or encoding a set of instructions for execution by the machineand that cause the machine to perform any one or more of the methods ofthe subject disclosure.

The term “tangible computer-readable storage medium” shall accordinglybe taken to include, but not be limited to: solid-state memories such asa memory card or other package that houses one or more read-only(non-volatile) memories, random access memories, or other re-writable(volatile) memories, a magneto-optical or optical medium such as a diskor tape, or other tangible media which can be used to store information.Accordingly, the disclosure is considered to include any one or more ofa tangible computer-readable storage medium, as listed herein andincluding art-recognized equivalents and successor media, in which thesoftware implementations herein are stored.

Although the present specification describes components and functionsimplemented in the embodiments with reference to particular standardsand protocols, the disclosure is not limited to such standards andprotocols. Each of the standards for Internet and other packet switchednetwork transmission (e.g., TCP/IP, UDP/IP, HTML, HTTP) representexamples of the state of the art. Such standards are from time-to-timesuperseded by faster or more efficient equivalents having essentiallythe same functions. Wireless standards for device detection (e.g.,RFID), short-range communications (e.g., Bluetooth, WiFi, Zigbee), andlong-range communications (e.g., WiMAX, GSM, CDMA, LTE) can be used bycomputer system 800.

The illustrations of embodiments described herein are intended toprovide a general understanding of the structure of various embodiments,and they are not intended to serve as a complete description of all theelements and features of apparatus and systems that might make use ofthe structures described herein. Many other embodiments will be apparentto those of skill in the art upon reviewing the above description. Theexemplary embodiments can include combinations of features and/or stepsfrom multiple embodiments. Other embodiments may be utilized and derivedtherefrom, such that structural and logical substitutions and changesmay be made without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Figuresare also merely representational and may not be drawn to scale. Certainproportions thereof may be exaggerated, while others may be minimized.Accordingly, the specification and drawings are to be regarded in anillustrative rather than a restrictive sense.

Although specific embodiments have been illustrated and describedherein, it should be appreciated that any arrangement calculated toachieve the same purpose may be substituted for the specific embodimentsshown. This disclosure is intended to cover any and all adaptations orvariations of various embodiments. Combinations of the aboveembodiments, and other embodiments not specifically described herein,can be used in the subject disclosure.

The Abstract of the Disclosure is provided with the understanding thatit will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of theclaims. In addition, in the foregoing Detailed Description, it can beseen that various features are grouped together in a single embodimentfor the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. This method ofdisclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that theclaimed embodiments require more features than are expressly recited ineach claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive subjectmatter lies in less than all features of a single disclosed embodiment.Thus the following claims are hereby incorporated into the DetailedDescription, with each claim standing on its own as a separately claimedsubject matter.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method, comprising: receiving, by a multimediamessaging service server comprising a processor, a first plurality ofprofiles from a plurality of content sources, wherein each of the firstplurality of profiles describe a condition for broadcasting contentprovided by the plurality of content sources to the multimedia messagingservice server, and wherein content provided by the plurality of contentsources is not compliant with a multimedia messaging service protocolutilized by the multimedia messaging service server; receiving, by themultimedia messaging service server, a second plurality of profiles froma plurality of communication devices, wherein each of the secondplurality of profiles indicate a type of content and a content formatdesired by users of the plurality of communication devices; receiving,by the multimedia messaging service server, content from the pluralityof content sources; extracting, by the multimedia messaging serviceserver, portions of the content according to the second plurality ofprofiles supplied by the plurality of communication devices;transcoding, by the multimedia messaging service server, the portions ofthe content to generate transcoded portions of the content that complywith the multimedia messaging service protocol utilized by themultimedia messaging service server; and broadcasting, by the multimediamessaging service server, to the plurality of communication devices thetranscoded portions of the content according to the first plurality ofprofiles supplied by the plurality of content sources.
 2. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the condition for broadcasting content comprises a timeof day for broadcasting the content, wherein the type of content desiredby the users of the plurality of communication devices comprises a genreselection, and wherein the content format desired by the users isselected from a group consisting of a still image extracted from thecontent supplied by the plurality of content sources, and a video clipextracted from the content supplied by the plurality of content sources.3. The method of claim 2, wherein the content received from theplurality of content sources is supplied by stationary cameras andcamera-enabled mobile communication devices.
 4. The method of claim 1,wherein the content received from the plurality of content sources islive content.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the content receivedfrom the plurality of content sources is recorded content.
 6. The methodof claim 1, wherein each of the second plurality of profiles furthercomprises a transmission period established by the users of theplurality of communications devices indicating a desired time to receivecontent supplied by the plurality of content sources at the plurality ofcommunications devices.
 7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:receiving the content from the plurality of content sources prior to thetransmission period for a portion of the users of the plurality ofcommunications devices; and postponing the extracting, transcoding andbroadcasting steps for the portion of the user until the transmissionperiod.
 8. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the second pluralityof profiles further comprises a preferred content source of theplurality of content sources established by each of the users of theplurality of communications devices.
 9. The method of claim 1, whereinthe portions of the content is transcoded according to a serviceprovider policy for compacting the portions of the content, redactinginappropriate segments of the content, or both.
 10. The method of claim1, wherein the content supplied by the content sources includes tagsthat identify specific scenes of the content, and wherein the portionsof the content are extracted from the content according to the tagsincluded in the content and the second plurality of profiles supplied bythe plurality of communication devices.
 11. A multimedia messagingservice server, comprising: a memory to store executable instructions;and a processor coupled to the memory, wherein responsive to executingthe instructions, the processor performs operations comprising:receiving a plurality of profiles from a plurality of communicationdevices, wherein each of the plurality of profiles indicate a type ofcontent and a content format desired by users of the plurality ofcommunication devices; receiving content from a plurality of contentsources; selecting portions of the content according to the plurality ofprofiles supplied by the plurality of communication devices; transcodingthe portions of the content to generate transcoded portions of thecontent that comply with a multimedia messaging service protocol; andbroadcasting the transcoded portions of the content to the plurality ofcommunication devices.
 12. The multimedia messaging service server ofclaim 11, wherein content provided by the plurality of content sourcesis not compliant with the multimedia messaging service protocol.
 13. Themultimedia messaging service server of claim 11, wherein the operationsfurther comprise receiving a first plurality of profiles from theplurality of content sources, wherein each of the first plurality ofprofiles describe a condition for broadcasting content provided by theplurality of content sources to the multimedia messaging service server.14. The multimedia messaging service server of claim 13, whereinbroadcasting the transcoded portions of the content comprisesbroadcasting the transcoded portions of the content according to thefirst plurality of profiles supplied by the plurality of contentsources.
 15. The multimedia messaging service server of claim 13,wherein the condition for broadcasting content comprises a time of dayfor broadcasting the content.
 16. The multimedia messaging serviceserver of claim 11, wherein the type of content desired by the users ofthe plurality of communication devices comprises a genre selection, andwherein the content format desired by the users is selected from a groupconsisting of a still image extracted from the content supplied by theplurality of content sources, and a video clip extracted from thecontent supplied by the plurality of content sources.
 17. The multimediamessaging service server of claim 11, wherein the content supplied bythe content sources includes tags that identify specific scenes of thecontent, and wherein the portions of the content are selected from thecontent according to the tags included in the content and the pluralityof profiles supplied by the plurality of communication devices.
 18. Amachine-readable medium, comprising executable instructions, which whenexecuted by a system comprising a processor, causes the processor toperform operations comprising: receiving a plurality of profiles from aplurality of communication devices, wherein each of the plurality ofprofiles comprise a content preference established by users of theplurality of communication devices; receiving content from a pluralityof content sources; selecting portions of the content according to theplurality of profiles supplied by the plurality of communicationdevices; detecting that the portions of the content are not compatiblewith a multimedia protocol utilized by the system; transcoding theportions of the content to generate transcoded portions of the contentthat comply with the multimedia protocol; and broadcasting thetranscoded portions of the content to the plurality of communicationdevices.
 19. The machine-readable medium of claim 18, wherein themultimedia protocol comprises a multimedia messaging service protocoldeveloped by a standards body currently referred to as the open mobilealliance, wherein the system comprises a multimedia messaging serviceserver, and wherein the content preference indicates a type of contentand a content format desired by the users.
 20. The machine-readablemedium of claim 18, wherein the operations further comprise receiving afirst plurality of profiles from the plurality of content sources,wherein each of the first plurality of profiles describe a condition forbroadcasting content provided by the plurality of content sources to thesystem, and wherein broadcasting the transcoded portions of the contentcomprises broadcasting the transcoded portions of the content accordingto the first plurality of profiles supplied by the plurality of contentsources.